Tofino Bus owner Dylan Green has seen his small company grow from a single van catering to surfers from Nanaimo and Victoria in 2002 to an Island-wide company with 31 buses and 45 employees. SUBMITTED PHOTO
Tofino Bus owner Dylan Green has seen his small company grow from a single van catering to surfers from Nanaimo and Victoria in 2002 to an Island-wide company with 31 buses and 41 current employees.
File photo

Wilson’s Group acquires 16-year-old Tofino Bus service

The Tofino Bus Company has a new owner but the company name will stay the same.

Greater Victoria-based Wilson’s Group, the parent company of Wilson’s Transportation, will officially acquire the 16-year-old Tofino Bus Company on Nov. 15.

“We are not changing the name of the company and we are looking to the future and how this opportunity will create more jobs, growth and continued service to Vancouver Island, the Mainland and Interior of B.C.,” said John Wilson, president and CEO of the Wilson’s Group.

It’s the latest addition by the 56-year-old Wilson’s Group that was started by John’s dad Kello on Salt Spring Island. This year Wilson’s expanded their connections from Vancouver to Kelowna, Kamloops and Whistler in the wake of Greyhound closing the majority of their routes in B.C. Wilson’s will monitor Tofino Bus over the next 12 months and review their operations at that point, Wilson said.

Tofino Bus has about 40 vehicles in its fleet and currently employs 41 people who will remain in their roles.

Founder Dylan Green will also remain with Tofino Bus, albeit on a one-year contract, and will report to Wilson.

“This will allow for more resources and support to continue growth,” Green said. “We will be part of a larger group that will help us grow passenger bus services and expand our freight network on Vancouver Island, to the Mainland, and beyond.”

Green started Tofino Bus in 2002 as an inter-city bus and charter service and expanded it in 2015 to include the entire Vancouver Island. It filled the gaps left by Greyhound in offering Box By Bus and freight service in partnership with Greyhound to ship packages on and off the Island. Wilson’s had already taken over those connections.

“I knew [Green] when he first started Tofino Bus and have worked alongside him for quite some time, when the discussions started about an acquisition, this seemed like the right fit,” Wilson said. “Our family is excited about the opportunities Tofino Bus will bring and look forward to working with Dylan and his team.”